Instep-support.



J. w. ARROWSMITH.

INSTEP SUPPORT;

APPLIOATION FILED 001. 22, 1909.

Patented NOV. 25, 1913.

the same time permit the support of the said.

JAMES W. ARROWSMITH, 0F MORRISTOWN,-NEW JERSEY.

INSTEP-SUIPORT.-

rotates.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Application filed October 22, 1909. Serial No. 523,960.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, JAMES W. Annow- SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Morristown, in the county of Morris and 'Stateof New Jersey, have 1nvented certain new and useful Improvements inInst-ep-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

The improvements relate to devices for supporting the arch of the humaninstep when the same is weakened or injured from any cause and forrestoring the same to its normal condition when flattened or other,-wise deformed, as by the progress of the disease called flat-foot. Theirobjects are, among others, to provide a strong, light and durablesupport of this character which may be fitted to various degrees orkinds of deformity; to provide means for absorbing to a certain extentthe shock to the system of the wearer at each step taken due to theinelastic condition of the natural arch and at arch and the treatment ofthe deformity to be carried on, and to so construct and arrange theparts designed for the carrying out of the above objects that they willcooperate with one another in various ways.

The invention consists in the construction, combinationand arrangementof parts hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings.

In the said drawings Figure 1 is a plan of a covered instep supportembodying the improvements. Fig 2 is an underside view of the same. Fig.3 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line 3-3of Fig. 2 looking inthe direction indicated by the arrow.

The plate A consists of a body portion adapted to fit thenormal'undersurface of the instep arch and a side portion adapted to fitthe inside of the said normal arch. At the forward end the plate extendsto the anterior part of the metatarsus, but the rear portion is cut awayso that it does not reach the base of the calcaneum or os-calcis, therear edge being oblique to the longitudinal axis of the plate, and theplate being thinner along this edge than in the body portion.

The cover B is .of the usual form and consists of a non-metallicsubstance, such as leather, molded to fit the plate, extending beyondthe same a suitable distance and secured thereto at points near the lineof junction of the body and side portion by rivets or like fastenings CC.

Above the rear portion of the plate A and extendlng backward therefromin substantial conformity to. the shape and area of the heel portion ofthe cover is an auxiliary plate D which may be of leather or othernonmetallic substance or of light flexible metal as desired. This plateis secured to the main plate and cover by the rivet C passing throughall three of the parts and also by the line of stitching E by which itsforward edge is attached to the cover B.

Between the heel portion of the cover and the plate D a spring orcushion F is located. This cushion may be made of sponge, rubber orother suitable material having a high degree of elasticity. and issecured in position bythe rivet C' which passes through it at itsforward part. This cushion F is beveled as it approaches the plate A, asshown at F and the plate is also beveled at its upper side along therear edge so that the thickness of the plate and the cushion at thepoint where they overlap is not greater than the thickness of thecushion alone back of that point. The cushion is'jpreferably cemented orotherwise attached to the heel portion of the cover and to the auxiliarypiece or plate D.

It will be seen that in the construction herein described and shown theordinary metal support is supplemented by a cushion for one of theextremities of the instep arch, and the parts so constructed andarranged "that the metal support has suificient base length and otherproportions to perform its functions while at the-same time the cushionacts independently as well as in cooperation with the said support,within the area to be supported.

What I claim-is: '1. The combination of a metallic instep arch supportconsisting of a plate conforming to the instep arch and adapted toextend from the anterior portion of the metatarsus to the base of thecalcaneum on one side and being cut away at its rear end on a linerunning from one side of the plate to the other forward of the saidcalcaneum base, the cover secured to the upper side of I said plate nearits rea-rmost extremity and "extending back of the same to a'pointbehind the calcaneum, fastening means by which the said cover is sosecured, a piece of flexible material secured to the plate by the samefastening as the cover and extending from that point to the back of thecalcaneum, and a cushion of elastic material also 15 a single fasteninsecured to the latenear its rearmost point and extending ackward beneaththe base of the calcaneum. I

2. The combination of a metallic plate adapted to fitthe arch of theinstep, and having its rear edge cut away from one side to the othersothat one 'side edge is within the base of the 1 instep arch, a coversecured thereto, extending backward beneath the heel, a heel piece offlexible material coextensive with the heel portion of the cover andsecured theretoat its forward edge, a cushion of elastic materialbetween the heel I portion of the cover and the heel piece, andextending through the cover, cushion an heel piece and through the platenear its rearmost extremity whereby the said parts are all securedtogether.

'3. The combination of a metallic instep arch support consisting of aplate conforming to the instep arch and extending from the anteriorportion of the metatarsus to the base of the calca'neum-on one sidealong one longitudinal edge and to a point forward of the same alongjtheopposite edge, the back edge of the said plate being oblique to thelongitudinal axis of the same, a cover secured tothe upper side of thesaid plate near its rearmost extremity and extending back of the same toa point behind the calc'aneum, and a piece of flexible material securedto the plate between the cover and the plate and extending from thatpoint to I the back of the calcaneum, said piece of flexible materialhaving a forward portion of reduced thickness.

4. A device of the character described comprising in its construction anelastic nonmetallic heel cushion, a metallic arch support extendingfrom'a point at the forward portion of the heel base to a point beneaththe ball of the foot, and conforming, substantially to the instep archbetween these points, the heel cushion having its major portionnon-coincid'ent with the plate and the plate having its major portionnon-coincident with the cushion.

5. A device of the character described comprising'in its construction anelastic nonmetallic heel 'cushion, a metallic arch support extendingfrom a point at the forward portion of the heel base to a point beneaththe ball of the foot and conforming substantially to the instep archbetween these points, the heel cushion having its major portionnon-co-incident with the plate and the plate having its major portionnon-coincident with the cushion, and a portion of the rear edge of theplate being forward of the cushion.

Witness my hand this 19th day of October, 1909, at the city of New York,in the county and State of New York.

JAMES w. ARROWSMITH.

Witnesses S. J. Cox,

E. W. Somme, Jr.

